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Takumi Kimura
Takumi Kimura (匠木村, "Artisan, Tree Village") is a wandering swordsman roaming the Rukon districts of Soul Society. Takumi has become infamous for his habit of visiting and training at every Zanjutsu dojo he finds, and for relying exclusively upon his swordsmanship - forgoing everything else entirely. Among other powerful individuals in the rukon districts, he's usually referred to by his epithet of Kensei no Honoo (剣聖の炎, Lit. "Sword Saint of the Blaze"). His moniker a result of the powers he's been granted through . For while most Shinigami only meditate while they're training, Takumi has spent entire years in this state, detaching himself from the grips of reality and uniting with the spirit of his Zanpakutō. Not for the purpose of getting stronger, no, but to learn to know himself, to master his own soul. For in doing so, his own heart can be wielded as a weapon to defend himself, his dignity, and his patronage. Appearance Personality Takumi's personality is like a blaze unleashed, untamed, unruly and inherently chaotic. His everyday life isn't marked by conscious decisions as much as it's dictated by whims and sudden impulses. One moment he might head to a brothel to blow off some steam, only to decide mid-way that he doesn't really really want to go. He might hype himself up for battle, challenge a worthy opponent and never show up. Something which has happened numerous times in the past, as he simply doesn't give a damn about other people, he's his own guy, they can whine and complain all they like but he refuses to change. As a Mercenary, Takumi is difficult to work with, for although his skills are unparalleled within his chosen field, he's always adamant about things being done his way, the flame has to burn what it has to burn, but the occasional wildfire is to be expected. Sometimes dealing with a single person might not be enough, so he goes on a rampage and beats up everyone involved with that person and demands additional payment for his hard and tedious work. Needless to say, few individuals hire him twice, if they hire him at all. So Kimura is frequently forced to evade debt collectors (or burn them to a crisp), find new places to live (sometimes involving copious amounts of violence and intimidation) and take more mundane work. Given his reputation as a man with the discretion and grace of a block of brick, Takumi is in the habit of making work for himself with or without the approval of any would-be employee. Such as shadowing a crime lord for an entire day and then show up later at their home demanding a reward for serving as their unwanted bodyguard. Knowing of his temper and lack of moral scruples, the wise ones simply pay him the requested sum and leave it be with that, the not so wise ones.. well, he's prefer not to talk about those. These odd jobs form the majority of his income, and it works much better than merely offering his services, cause at that point he's given them the right to refuse, better then to take the decision out of their hands entirely. History Powers & Abilities Natural Abilities : Takumi's spiritual energy is nothing short of vast in quantity, being powerful enough to force lesser opponents to their knees with nothing but the overbearing weight of it's spiritual pressure. It's the kind of power that belongs to only a handful of individuals each generation, individuals destined for greatness. But even so, this level of energy is not wholly uncommon in the outermost reaches of the Rukon districts. But there's one feature of Takumi's reiryoku which sets it apart from the rest, and which proved to be the origin of his moniker. Because his reiryoku doesn't manifest as an aura of energy, nay, it instead takes the form of crimson fire, licking across his skin and distorting the air around him with it's sheer intensity. Most of the time, Takumi goes to great lengths to reign it in as much as he can, but when when it's suppressed it still increases the temperature around him drastically - making it uncomfortable to remain close to him for prolonged periods of time. A sudden flare of anger usually results in severe burns to whomever happen to be nearby and a single touch with the intent to harm is known to burn flesh down to the bone. Battles are won because few are willing to engage Takumi in the midst of a raging inferno, or the intensity of the flames proves too strong for them to even approach him once it's exerted fully. His energy wasn't always like this however, it wasn't until he'd spent one year in continuous that he was bestowed this power. Takumi claims it's because he and Hihanami now understands that the latters energy is an extension of Takumi's and that in essence, they're part of a greater whole as opposed to separate entities altogether. Fire Resistance: Due to the nature of his bond with Hihanami, fire as an element has a greatly reduced effect on Takumi. As his spirit is so deeply intertwined with the very concept of fire, spells, attacks or techniques of that nature rarely even give him a slight burn. At one point enduring a direct hit from a fully-powered cast by one of his targets with hardly any negative effects at all, aside from minor discomfort and some blunt trauma. Even natural fire hardly has any effect on Takumi, to the degree that he's often capable of walking through walls of fire and emerge unscathed. It's theorized this is because of Hihanami's deep connection to Kimura - as fire cannot burn fire. Zanjutsu Master Zanjutsu Master: A concept poorly understood by many, Zanjutsu represents much more than just raw skill with a blade, or the finesse of hard exercise. Normally, a Shinigami nurtures their bond with their Zanpakutō over time. While training in their secondary abilities and staying true to the Zankensoki, their bond with their Zanpakutō is gradually strengthened, but their focus is divided. If Hakuda is the discipline that allows one to master oneself, then Zanjutsu is the discipline that allows one to master ones own spirit. Much more than a simple katana, a Zanpakutō exists as the most genuine expression of a Shinigami's heart - forged by their wants, desires, troubles and personalities. The two are functionally two halves of a greater being, through diligent pursuit of the art of Zanjutsu, Takumi has managed to grow ever closer to his true self, and it's through deep meditations lasting months at a time that he's achieved the bulk of his potential. In battle, the bond between Takumi and his Zanpakutō, Hihanami become immediately evident. Each attack flawlessly executed, each parry perfected and each change accomplished in an instant. His katana was never a weapon to Takumi, it was and still is an extension of his spirit, his resolve and his goals. It's as though the blade moves separate of Kimura, guided by a will of it's own as it shields him from blows and attacks one would never had thought him capable of blocking. But although the duo are a fearsome sight to behold on the battlefield by themselves, this is but a pale representation of the true connection between them. For when his full might is brought to bear, and his determination is set on defeating his opponent, their connection allows Takumi the ability to invoke the flames of Hihanami even in it's sealed state, commanded by his will and employed through the medium of his spiritual energy. The blade of the katana vanishing only to be replaced by a whirling column of fire, fit to burn through even some of the most adamant of defenses and lay an entire battlefield ablaze with a single swing. Such is the power of Zanjutsu, expressed by a true specialist. Master Swordsman Specialist: Many Shinigami, even high-ranking ones such as Captains make the mistake of treating their Zanpakutō as an object to be wielded and utilized as they see fit, a blade to be turned against their enemies and used to protect themselves, their pride and their loved ones. They refine their technique with their weapons, practice their form and sometimes work towards mastering a distinct style. Shinigami who achieve this are referred to as masters, and are praised for their talents. To someone like Takumi however, who has come to regard his Zanpakutō as friend, brother, yes, even a lover, this kind of mastery is without question one of the more disgusting things he's witnessed. It's ignorance of ones self, and denial of their shared bond, there's little difference between that and a mindless weapon of destruction. While in combat, Takumi never fights alone, for his blade is a partner, not a weapon and every victory belongs to them, not to him alone. Even relentless assaults from multiple individuals of similar "skill" barely make for a slight break in the cadence of his steps, Hihanami's blade rises to meet every strike, and with little effort he turns his opposition into ash. As a slight twirl of his blade unleashes the raw force of his energy like a raging inferno. The most important lesson he's learned is to submit to his own Zanpakutō, to let the spirit guide his hand and briefly take over it's functions. He likens it to a dance, with one of them leading, and the other spontaneously following. Kōseidō Expert: The Way of Aggression was chosen explicitly by Hihanami himself, as it best compliōmented it's personality, powers and style. Kōseidō is wild, untamed and relentless, and it's overwhelming focus on offense compliments an offensively-oriented Zanpakutō excellently. Whereas the form is often considered unfit for prolonged combat, Takumi would be considered an exception, for his attacks are not merely precise strikes, thrusts and slashes, they're fuelled by the power of fire - increasing the destructive power of his attacks immensely. While utilizing Kōseidō, Takumi becomes a true menance, each attack chaotic, fuelled by a raw desire to strike his target and followed by vicious blasts of crimson fire, fit to vaporize his foe in the span of a moment. The unconventional movements of this particular form lending itself well to his element. Retaliation is usually impossible, as between evading emerging walls of fire and furious firestorms there simply isn't much time left to facilitate a proper response, usually turning a match completely one-sided in Kimura's favor. Nihadō Expert: The Way of Two Blades is typically employed primarily by Shinigami whose Zanpakutō assume the form of two swords, such as the Katen Kyōkotsu of Shunsui Kyōraku or the Zanpakutō of Jushirō Ukitake. This mindset is however limited, as Hihanami revealed to Takumi that despite the base state of a Zanpakutō, it can be altered in certain ways if the bond between them is powerful enough. The bond between Takumi and Hihanami passed the test, and thus, with barely any effort at all, Takumi can manifest a perfect replica of his Zanpakutō's sealed state in his free hand, this second Hihanami is forged by their inner fire, and briefly given existence through their shared resolve and will. Kimura was instructed to practice Nihadō, not for the sake of increasing his power, but as a way for his inner spirit to take a more active role in combat, and once engaged in this manner, Takumi essentially surrenders control of his left arm to Hihanami as they fight their opposition together. Initially, the duo experienced difficulties matching their attacks, and properly connecting to one another in the flow of battle, and by overcoming this obstacle, their bond deepened even further and so did Hihanami's power. Today, it's possible for Takumi to wield these two swords on his own, the practice having turned him ambidextrous, making him equally proficient at using both hands, a handy talent. When employed in the heat of combat, Nihadō essentially doubles Takumi's offence, ferocity and raw elemental power. Fireballs become like searing meteors, waves of fire becomes like columns, and the very element itself bends to the whim of his blade, as walls of flame arise to shield his flanks from harms, gradually enclosing around his enemy as he burns them to ashes with redoubled effort. Hiiremichi (道火入れ, "Igniting Path"): Among Shinigami, Hohō is essential for movement, they practice it diligently in order to be able to move at great speeds and master their own mobility, the most common and greatest expression of the art is Shunpo. As a Shinigami who's never once attended the Shin'ō Academy, these talents were naturally out of reach for Takumi. Even so, Takumi is capable of moving at tremendous speeds nonetheless, for in the absence of Shunpo, he has Hihanami. Empowered by the essence of his own heart, Takumi's steps ignite the air underneath his feet, propelling him onwards at tremendous speed, each turn marked with an explosion of hot air, craters form underneath him and his surroundings are set ablaze with Hihanami's vigor. There's little effort in running like this, as the drain on his energies are almost non-existent despite how flashy and loud these movements are. While using Hihanami to move like this, Takumi harnesses his spiritual energy, and as he moves that energy enshrouds him within a cloak of fire that only intensifies the faster he moves. The flames build quickly, and by the time he reaches his foe, his body is like that of a living fireball, scorching them with it's overwhelming heat even as it's energies are released in a raging inferno centered on Takumi himself. By simply moving, Takumi is capable of changing the battlefield, setting it ablaze and turning it into a vessel for Hihanami's power. Once faced with such destruction, few are willing to stand against Takumi, and even fewer doubt the bond between Shinigami and Zanpakutō. Akehara (原朱, "Red Field"): Despite being known primarily for it's role in destruction, the element of fire is likewise one of rebirth. A charred forest will be reborn, given time, with crops sprouting from the devastation. Everything is purged, so that it may start anew. Takumi's soul is a pyre, a vibrant flame from which he derives his great power. Akehara is an ability granted by Hihanami that allows Takumi to sustain his inner fire, himself and even heal minor to moderate injuries by drawing upon other fires, specifically those created by him and his Zanpakutō. Because of this, Takumi's initial actions when confronted in combat is to set most of the battlefield aflame. Throughout the battle, he draws upon his own fire to continuously preserve his own reserves, it's therefore a rare occurrence indeed for Takumi to tire or succumb due to injuries, as cuts and bruises are essentially burned away. Briefly visible as rivulets of flame dancing across the wound, as it ignites and disappears. His contractors often mistake this ability for a burning determination that simply refuses to be quenched, as it's not uncommon for him to fight for several days without rest. Returning mostly unharmed despite the staggering number of opponents faced. As long as the world around Kimura burns, he's an extremely difficult foe to take down. Such is Hihanami's desire to protect him. Although he's ordinarily only able to heal his own injuries, and restore his own energy, Takumi has still shown himself capable of healing burn-related injuries by laying the blade of Hihanami across the wound. Zanpakutō Hihanami (花見朱, "Scarlet Flower Viewing"): In it's sealed state, Hihanami appears as a katana of average length, but with a few distinguishing or otherwise noteworthy features. The most immediately obvious being the color of the blade itself, which is scarlet in coloration, a great contrast to other Zanpakutō. Secondly, where it's Tsuba would otherwise be, is instead a cluster of roses, seemingly carved from iron, their large petals curling around the guard of the blade, protecting the Shinigami's hand as it is wielded. Though it's powers as a Zanpakutō is matched by few, it's outlandish and garish appearance proved to be one of the first hurdles Takumi had to overcome on his path to mastering Zanjutsu. With time, Kimura has learned to overcome his embarrassment and wields Hihanami with pride, accepting that it's shape is a reflection of himself in one way or another. Regardless of this however, it's appearance has often made it difficult for the shady people he deals with regularly to take him seriously. With them strongly doubting the credibility of someone carrying around what looks like a failed art project. Yet despite it's appearance, Hihanami belies a grave danger to whomever angers Kimura, for connected to Takumi's spiritual energy as it is, it can harness the powers of fire even in it's sealed setting ablaze whatever it's wielder touches with that specific intent. *' ': Although he's mastered the Shikai to the degree that he can release it with but a thought, the command phrase is "Burn, Hihanami" (火傷花見朱, "Yakedo, Hihanami"). Upon releasing the Zanpakutō, the roses on Hihanami's shaft bloom and detach themselves from the Katana before vanishing in a burst of flame, in their absence revealing an elegantly carved sun-flower like tsuba. The flames then begin to run down the length of the blade, turning it into a contained column of fire as a single large red flower appears hovering behind Takumi, in various states of bloom - this flower is the true manifestation of Hihanami, and instrumental to it's powers. It first appears as a simple bud, but gradually blooms into a brilliant blossom of the purest scarlet, before withering and dying after a while. This is the cycle of the red flower, and there's three in total, in each cycle an additional bud is added, and that bud eventually blossoms into a large flower as well. Shikai Special Ability: Hihanami is an exceptionally potent fire-type Zanpakutō, it's immense power is however dependant on the flowers that form behind Takumi in battle, with each of the flowers cycles, it grows exponentially in power, to the point that it already in it's second cycle is considered powerful enough to rival the raw potency of a Bankai. Upon reaching the third cycle, it's potency is such that it's often mistaken for a Bankai in it's own right, it's powers utterly eclipsing most if not all Shikai releases ever witnessed. According to Takumi, it's three cycles is apparently a result of their close bond, as he had first could only maintain it's release past it's first cycle, after which it would just reseal automatically, now however, the Zanpakutō simply begins anew from the first once the final cycle ends. It's powers are however varying in potency depending on the various states of bloom of the flowers, a flowerbud grants significant powers, which then increases sharply once it fully blooms, only to plummet in strength as it withers and dies. The potency of each cycle as opposed to the former one is tremendous, but also is it's potential drawback, for there's one weakness in Hihanami's powers and it's that once a flower is withering, Takumi's power to control and utilize the Zanpakutō's element is weakened past what it is even when it is sealed, with each withering bud only serving to further weaken him. With three withering buds at the end of the final cycle, Takumi is completely incapable of harnessing fire at all, which weakens his fighting power tremendously, and prevents him from regenerating or conserving energy through Akehara, or, and this is perhaps the most dangerous aspect of all, move through the use of Hiiremichi, essentially rendering him incapable of high-speed movement for a period of time, and extremely vulnerable to powerful counterattacks. For this reason it's possible for Takumi to restrict the cycles of Hihanami, allowing him to perpetually keep a single flower in full bloom indefinitely without anything more than a basic strain on his reserves - this has the disadvantage that it cannot process to the second cycle, and his offensive potential is therefore sorely restricted, although still sufficient to deal with most basic to intermediate threats. Ichiban Shūki (一番周期, "First Cycle"): As the initial cycle of Hihanami, Ichiban is by far the weakest, it's also by extension the state whose power is most easily controlled by Takumi. Against weaker opponents, it's more than sufficient on it's own can be maintained indefinitely due to the extent of mastery Kimura has over his Zanpakutō. Through his training with Zanjutsu, numerous techniques have been made available to him through his Zanjutsu training, and the majority of these are accessible while in Ichiban. These powers vary in potency according to the state of the single red flower behind him, as a bud, it's powers are significant, but not overwhelming, in full bloom it's intensity is such that few can stand against it directly, and when it's withering and dying it's ability to control fire and the intensity of his flames decrease to the degree that they're incapable of defeating most enemies, even if they can cause serious injuries if outright ignored. With their emitted heat being noted as lower than the flames produced by Takumi in Hihanami's sealed state. *'Hotaru-mai' (蛍舞, "Firefly Dance"): Hotaru-mai is a technique largely centered around utility which manipulates heat in the environment to create what is known as a mirage. This optical phenomenon is noted to be significantly more realistic and natural-looking than ordinary mirages, being comparable to an actual illusion. Beyond creating mirages however, it can also be used to bend light through heat waves, masking Takumi's presence in a manner reminiscent of . Hotaru-mai is primarily a tool of misdirection, and it's effects is only centered on the opponent, as through Hihanami's guidance, Takumi is never fooled by his own optical illusions. The precise extents of this technique is such that it can be used to conceal massive objects such as the clearing of a forest, a body of water or other phenomenons with ease. Niban Shūki (二番周期, "Second Cycle"): The second cycle of Hihanami, Niban sits just between Ichiban and Sanban in terms of it's strength, and once unleashed opponents unfamiliar with the Kensei no Honoo frequently mistake it for an immature Bankai. While in the second cycle, Hihanami's flames change color from bright red to orange, signifying their greatly increased intensity, and the raw power behind each blast also improves dramatically. Where the blasts of Ichiban might've manifested as roaring fireballs or expanding arcs of burning energies, Niban is more akin to the roar of a dragon, each movement of his blade summons forth blazing firestorms and each parry results in towering walls of fire that discourage even the bravest foes from challenging him head on. His movements through Hiiremichi are likewise empowered, and he's fit to easily keep up with most contemporary masters of Shunpo or Sonido, although more forceful and less agile, fire goes where it pleases, although it spreads quickly it does so as an unified existence. Used rather rarely due to it's incredible destructive power, Niban is reserved for opponents of great strength that he feels would beat him otherwise. Sanban Shūki (三番周期, "Third Cycle"): Behind The Scenes